


Back For You

by PhenomenalWoman



Series: The Little Jedi [7]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: A little bit of blood, Age Regression/De-Aging, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Brotherly Love, CC-1010 | Fox is a Good Bro, De-Aged Anakin Skywalker, Force Suppression Collars, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:01:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26540299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhenomenalWoman/pseuds/PhenomenalWoman
Summary: AKA how Anakin gets kidnapped and Obi-Wan does Not Like That.~“Obi-Wan!”The jedi’s head snaps up. Anakin.He drops the plant he was holding, vaguely aware of how the pot shatters at his feet and the clerk that shouts indignantly, and takes off towards the scream.A blaster shot echoes through the air, followed by the shrieks of onlookers, and Obi-Wan feels a desperation that he’s never felt before. He’s blatantly using the Force to propel his body forward, but he’ll deal with the consequences later, when Anakin is by his side again where he will stay for the rest of time if need be. The fledgling bond between the two of them is drenched in fear, and Obi-Wan can’t confidently discern which side it’s coming from.
Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox & CC-2224 | Cody, CC-2224 | Cody & Anakin Skywalker, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Series: The Little Jedi [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748707
Comments: 33
Kudos: 730





	Back For You

He should have noticed. The second Anakin drifted, he should have noticed. He should have been watching but he  _ wasn’t _ because he got comfortable. 

He was comfortable and now Anakin is gone. 

Obi-Wan just wanted to take Anakin through the town, maybe pick up something that Anakin would find interesting to tinker with but would just look like a piece of scrap to Obi-Wan. 

It started off just fine, too. It was a beautiful day for a walk through town, not too hot (but Anakin still swaddled himself in a too-big coat). 

And Anakin would wander sometimes, but never too far that Obi-Wan couldn’t see him, and he’d also come right back once his curiosity was satisfied. It happened at almost every store they passed. The first time Anakin followed something that caught his eye, Obi-Wan nearly had a stroke.

“Anakin?” He had called, spinning a circle as a cold feeling of dread washed over him. His breathing became shallow and his eyes darted from face to face, trying to find his missing charge. 

And then Anakin popped back up in front of him and a scrap of metal was shoved proudly under his nose, “That lady gave me this for free!” He exclaimed as though Obi-Wan wasn’t seconds away from burning the town down. 

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin into a hug and dropped a hurried kiss to his forehead, “Don’t do that again, Anakin.” 

But he did. Again and again. Every store they passed Anakin found something of interest that he just  _ had  _ to follow, but every time he would come right back to Obi-Wan’s side. Obi-Wan began to expect it, began to relax a little more every time his little brother was back at his side. 

So when Anakin took a little longer than usual to find his way back, Obi-Wan was only a bit worried. Maybe more than  _ a bit _ , but he wasn’t going to panic. Perhaps Anakin was trying to bargain for something. 

_ “Obi-Wan!” _

The jedi’s head snaps up.  _ Anakin. _

He drops the plant he was holding, vaguely aware of how the pot shatters at his feet and the clerk that shouts indignantly, and takes off towards the scream. 

A blaster shot echoes through the air, followed by the shrieks of onlookers, and Obi-Wan feels a desperation that he’s never felt before. He’s blatantly using the Force to propel his body forward, but he’ll deal with the consequences later, when Anakin is by his side again where he will stay for the rest of time if need be. The fledgling bond between the two of them is  _ drenched _ in fear, and Obi-Wan can’t confidently discern which side it’s coming from.

Obi-Wan shoves his way through the screaming crowd and towards the blaster shots. Now that he’s gotten closer, he can see the red plasma firing directly into the air, and Obi-Wan feels the tight ball of desperation lessen. The bond between them, while young, is still strong. Anakin is still alive. 

Obi-Wan pushes past the last person in his way and feels his stomach lurch into his throat. 

A Trandoshan has one clawed hand tangled painfully in Anakin’s  _ too long Obi-Wan should have gotten it cut why didn’t he get it cut _ hair and the other pressing the barrel of a blaster to Anakin’s temple.

_ “Obi-Wan!” _ Anakin sobs, his little hands prying futilely at the Trandoshan’s wrists. Tears race down his cheeks and soak into his oversized coat. The scrap of metal he had gotten at the beginning of their trip lay smashed under the Trandoshan’s feet. 

The Trandoshan’s grin is all wicked sharp teeth aimed at Obi-Wan, “Evenin’, Jedi,” he rasps evenly, as though he isn’t holding a gun to the most precious thing in Obi-Wan’s life. 

“Let him go,” Obi-Wan requests with a calm he most certainly does not feel. He raises his hands up, purposely away from the lightsaber dangling at his belt, and hopes to the Force they aren’t shaking. 

He’s negotiated more life-threatening things before, things that would mean the death of him and all his men, and yet they all pale in comparison to what’s happening now.

The Trandoshan laughs like Obi-Wan said something amusing and tightens his grip in Anakin’s hair, eliciting a sharp yelp from the boy that makes Obi-Wan lurch forward before he reigns himself in. “I’ll make a fortune off this one,” He hisses and jerks Anakin’s head around in his grip.

Obi-Wan looks at Anakin,  _ just  _ Anakin - not the hand wrapped in his hair or the gun pressed to his temple -, and tries to look reassuring. “Anakin,  _ Anakin, _ look at me,” He waits until the boy obeys before continuing, “You’re going to be okay, do you understand?” 

Anakin sputters out another sob of Obi-Wan’s name and wriggles even more violently through the grip in his hair. 

“Look around, Jedi,” The Trandoshan takes the gun off Anakin’s temple to gesture towards the rooftops, “You’re surrounded.” 

Obi-Wan doesn’t take his eyes off Anakin, not when the gun is back in place but this time closer to his eye instead of just his temple, and instead reaches out with the Force. He can sense multiple life forms on various roofs, each of them with some type of weapon trained on either him or the crowd that surrounds them. 

The Trandoshan grins even wider before turning his head to the side and whistling sharp enough to make Anakin flinch.

“Let him go,” Obi-Wan says again,  _ demands.  _ “You won’t like what happens if you don’t,” 

“Ah,” The Trandoshan  _ tsk _ s at him, “Now that’s not very Jedi-like is it?” He yanks Anakin so that he’s standing beside him instead of in front, “And you wouldn’t try any of your Jedi magic because if you do,” He gestures with the gun again towards the sky, “We’ll open fire on this crowd.”

The surrounding circle of people shriek and duck together at his words, but none of it matters to Obi-Wan.

“Anakin,” He says softly, “Do you remember what I taught you last week?” 

A flash of recognition streaks across Anakin’s face, but before he can respond the Trandoshan shakes him by the hair again.

“ _ Hey! _ What did I say?” He levels the gun to Obi-Wan’s far left, “You want them to  _ die,  _ Jedi?” He whistles again, this time much louder, and calls out to an unseen associate, “What’s taking so long!”

A Selkath skulks from the alleyway between two shops, fiddling with something in his hands. “Sorry, sorry,” He replies, not sounding very sorry at all, “Damn thing was caked in blood,” 

A  _ collar _ dangles from his hands, and Obi-Wan feels the tight fist of fear wrap around his heart. 

Anakin, upon seeing it, thrashes even more, “No!” He cries, bodily throwing himself to no avail,  _ “Obi-wan, Obi-Wan!” _ His hands claw and scratch at the Trandoshan’s scaly arm, but he barely seems to notice, “Obi-Wan,” He sobs so hard it must hurt, “ _ Please,” _

_ “Help me, Obi-Wan, help me!” _ The Trandoshan mocks and pulls Anakin  _ up _ so that his toes can barely scrape against the ground, “Go on,  _ Obi-Wan,” _ He turns the gun back onto the crowd, “Help him.” 

And Obi-Wan  _ can’t. _ There’s too many of them and too many in the crowd and not enough of him. Even if he used his lightsaber  _ someone _ would get hurt, and Obi-Wan would never forgive himself if it was Anakin who happened to be caught in the crossfire. Even if he tapped into the dark side, the side of himself that he promised he would never access again after he sliced Darth Maul in half all those years ago, it wouldn’t be enough. Because  _ Obi-Wan _ wasn’t enough.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan calls out, desperate to get Anakin’s eyes on him, “ _ Anakin! _ You’re going to be okay,” His eyes dart between the boy and the Selkath eating up the distance between them, “You’re going to be okay, I’m going to find you. You’re going to be okay, I swear it.” 

As soon as the Selkath gets close enough, Anakin lunges as much as he can and rakes his nails down it’s bare forearm.

The Selkath snarls and drops the collar as the Trandoshan jerks Anakin up even higher and smacks him across the face with the butt of his blaster. 

_ “Don’t-” _ Obi-Wan starts to lunge forward but is stopped short by the blaster being turned back to the crowd behind him. His outstretched hand clenches slowly and he lowers it slowly down to his side. “Please, you don’t have to do this, we can work something out,” He’s begging now, but Obi-Wan can’t find it in himself to be ashamed.

Anakin can’t take his eyes off the collar that the Selkath has picked back up. His toes scrape against the ground, trying to push himself away from the collar that’s coming closer and closer, and Obi-Wan can barely hear himself think over the sound of Anakin’s cries. 

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan whispers, and maybe Anakin can’t hear him but Obi-Wan needs to  _ say it _ , “You’re going to be okay, I will find you. I’m so sorry, Anakin, I’m so sorry,” 

The Trandoshan yanks Anakin’s head back for easy access to his neck, and Obi-Wan wants to look away but he can’t. He owes Anakin this much for so recklessly putting him in danger like this. He watches as Anakin sobs and wails as the collar comes closer, slowly like the Selkath is toying with him, and he knows that he’s speaking, trying to reassure Anakin with promises of rescue, but he doesn’t know for certain what exactly he’s saying. 

The collar snaps around his neck with little fanfare in itself, but the way Anakin’s body  _ seizes _ and his eyes go blank, mouth dropped open in a silent scream, is show enough. 

Obi-Wan feels the bond between them  _ vanish _ . He drops to his knees. 

_ He’s dead, _ His mind wails, despite proof of the boy in front of him.  _ I can’t feel him, he’s gone, he’s gone. _

The roar of blood in his ears drown out the way the Trandoshan and Selkath cackle. He can’t hear the crowd behind in gasps and shrieks. 

The roar of Senate-issued speeder bikes cut through the air and stop the child smugglers’ laughter. 

_ “Kriff,” _ The Trandoshan hisses, “The Guard,” he hauls Anakin’s still seizing body up and over his broad shoulder and takes a step back.

“We should’ve been outta here by now,” The Selkath seethes, shoving at the Trandoshan.

The Trandoshan bares it’s sharp and yellowed teeth at his partner, “Well maybe if  _ you _ hadn’t taken so long with the collar!” 

The two of them turn and start to run, and it’s only their footsteps that jerk Obi-Wan out of his unhelpful pity party. He pushes himself up onto unsteady feet.

_ They will not leave this block with Anakin. _

He sprints after them, and with the Trandoshan being weighed down by Anakin and the Force assisting Obi-Wan, he starts to gain ground.

Obi-Wan just barely starts to outstretch his hand, prepared to use the Force to jerk Anakin off the Trandoshan’s shoulder, (he would apologize to the boy  _ later, _ when they were together in the Temple curled up under a ratty blanket on Obi-Wan’s lumpy couch) when a plasma bolt to the left shoulder knocks him back and onto his ass on the grimy pathway.

“No!” Obi-Wan cries out as he forces himself to his feet. His shoulder  _ aches _ , but nothing could hurt worse than the gaping absence of Anakin in his mind. He needs to keep going, they’re taking him, they’re  _ taking my baby brother please not my brother. _

Another blaster bolt to the thigh brings Obi-Wan down again. He drops to his knees, his thigh  _ screaming _ and the smell of burning flesh makes him want to retch, before collapsing onto his stomach.

The bite of gravel against his hands and the steady pulsing in his shoulder in thigh is nowhere near the punishment Obi-Wan deserves.

Obi-Wan curls in on himself, eyes clenched shut or else tears would leak out.

He’s gone, Anakin is  _ gone, _ and Obi-Wan doesn’t know what to do now. This isn’t like the battlefield, where one of them could have been taken hostage at any moment. Anakin is a  _ child  _ now, and has been cut off from the Force as well. 

Obi-Wan has had on Force suppressant collars before and, while extremely unpleasant, he never once had a reaction to it like that. But Anakin has always been more connected to the Force. Master Yoda even had a theory that he was  _ created _ by the Force and that’s why he had no father to speak of on Tatooine and why his Midichlorian count was so high.

Does Anakin even know what’s happening right now? He must be so scared.

“General? General Kenobi?” A firm hand grasps his bicep and Obi-Wan hisses as it pulls at his aching shoulder,  _ “Shit. _ Medic! We need a medic over here!” 

Through the pain, Obi-Wan finally focuses on the red and white helmet, “Fox,” He practically sobs as he grabs the clone’s hand, “They have Anakin. They took Anakin.”

~

Anakin can’t focus. The lights are too bright but when he closes his eyes it's too dark, and it’s too quiet in his head but it's also too loud because all he can hear is  _ himself _ . There is no background buzz of the Force that he has become so accustomed to, so all he is left with are his own thoughts, and his thoughts are  _ scary. _

These people are going to kill him. Obi-Wan isn’t here, and the only way they could have gotten him away from Obi-Wan is if they killed Obi-Wan too. 

_ Unless he let them take you, _ a slimy voice whispers, and Anakin flinches back so hard his head hits the hard metal behind him. No, Obi-Wan wouldn’t do that. Obi-Wan is his  _ brother _ , he would never let anyone take Anakin and put a collar on him. 

Obi-Wan will find him, though. He promised he would.

There are other children in the cage with Anakin. One Rhodian and two Togruta, but neither of them look very much like Ahsoka.

Anakin misses Ahsoka too. 

The other three children are collared as well, but they look significantly younger than Anakin. The oldest, one of the Togrutas, can’t be older than five. 

The youngest, the Rhodian that looks barely three, is curled up in Anakin’s lap.

He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t think he  _ can, _ but the touch irritates his hypersensitive skin and the weight of the Rhodian in his lap makes him claustrophobic. 

Another shiver wracks Anakin’s body, and the Rhodian curls tighter around him. He whimpers and lets his head drop back against the metal behind him. His body just feels so  _ heavy. _

He’s heavy, and it’s too loud yet too quiet, and it’s too bright yet too dark, and the collar chafes around his throat, and worst of all he doesn’t know where Obi-Wan is. His face, with what little he can move it, feels crusty and stiff. 

Anakin is thinking too much, and thinking is  _ hard _ right now. His head pounds, like his skull is a cage and the beast inside desperately wants out. His skin is too tight and he wants Obi-Wan, he wants Obi-Wan right  _ now. _ He wants to see Rex and Cody, and all of the other men of the 501st and the 212th. 

“‘bi-W’n,” Anakin slurs out, head rolling to the left and against his shoulder, “Ob’-W’n,” He tries again, but is shushed by a shaky voice. 

“Please, don’t say anything,” They plead to deaf ears, “They’ll just come back, please be quiet,” 

A single tear tracks down Anakin’s cheek.

~

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, you get back in that bed this instant!” 

Obi-Wan stood up from the bed, took a step, and promptly collapsed. 

Vokara Che sighs and heaves him back onto the bed, “You never learn,” She deposits him back onto the bed.

“Commander Fox said they brought back a sniper from the roofs,” Obi-Wan fights her hold against him, despite the lingering pain in both his thigh and shoulder. “I need to speak with them,”

“No, you need to stay in this bed until I clear you,” Her tone leaves no room for argument, but Obi-Wan is not to be deterred.

“I need to find Anakin-”

Her hand grabs his in a gentle way that belies how harsh her words had just been, “And Anakin needs you to be healed when we find him. You’re no good to him with two blaster holes in your body, and I have a feeling he would be very cross with me if I didn’t do my best to heal you.”

Slowly, Obi-Wan sinks back into the too-soft pillows. He feels Vokara’s soft hand slip from his own and hears her satisfied hum in response to his obedience. 

That’s fine. He’ll listen, for now. But by morning, she will not find Obi-Wan Kenobi resting in this bed, and Anakin Skywalker will not be held captive by child snatchers. 

Obi-Wan waits, bides his time, until finally he is alone in the medbay. He snatches a pair of stims from a drawer and doesn’t even wait for them to kick in before changing back into his regular tunics and trousers. (He can’t seem to find his robe anywhere.) 

He just barely heads towards where he assumes they have been keeping the sniper that Commander Fox brought in for questioning when someone clears their throat from behind him. 

Obi-Wan curses under his breath and turns swiftly on his heel, ignoring how the room spins however briefly.

“Commander Fox,” He greets, and folds his hands behind his back to hide how they still shake while the stims kick in, “What can I do for you?” 

The Commander, despite still having his helmet on, does not seem impressed, “I know what you’re doing, General.” 

Obi-Wan presses his lips together and unfolds his hands, “Then you also know I won’t let you stop me.”

The captain of the Coruscant Guard shrugs, “Wasn’t going to,” He replies easily, and instead tosses a data chip at Obi-Wan that he catches easily.

The two of them stand there momentarily while Obi-Wan tries to figure out what’s happening. He blames his confusion on the pain still throbbing in his thigh.

“Master Koon was able to extract the location of their base,” Fox supplies when Obi-Wan doesn’t say anything, “They’ll be gone by morning, though,” 

Obi-Wan feels his heart rate pick up. Gone by morning? That doesn’t give him much time, and he still needs to contact Cody and Rex, and perhaps some ARCs-

“Already got some boys waiting for you in the hanger, General Kenobi,” Fox presses on, jerking his head towards the direction of the hanger bay.

The Jedi furrows his eyebrows together and tightens his grip on the “data chip, as if the Commander will suddenly change his mind and demand for it back, “Why are you doing this?” To Obi-Wan’s knowledge, Anakin has never met Fox. He knew of Anakin’s proclaimed vow to meet every single one of the clones, but even Anakin wouldn’t be able to do that. Had Cody or Rex taken Anakin to meet Fox when Obi-Wan wasn’t around?

Fox doesn’t seem to have an answer. He shifts uncharacteristically on his feet before his hands finally come up to pull his helmet off. Although Obi-Wan has never seen Commander Fox without his helmet on, he looks disheveled in a way he wouldn’t imagine the infamous Coruscant Guard member would be capable of.

“Cody cares for the kid,” Fox says slowly, eyes burning into Obi-Wan so that he realizes the magnitude of what he’s telling him, “So  _ I  _ care for the kid. Bring him home to my little brother, understand?” 

Obi-Wan would be upset at the implication. The lightly implied idea that Obi-Wan cares less about Anakin and more for making Cody and Fox happy, but Obi-Wan stops for a moment and really  _ thinks. _

They’re birds of a feather, Fox and Obi-Wan. Just two big brothers willing to move planets to ensure the happiness and wellbeing of their little brothers. 

Instead, Obi-Wan just nods, “I will,” He promises, “Thank you.”

Fox grunts and shoves the helmet back on his face, but not before he can hide the flustered blush that rises on his cheeks, “Get outta here before someone sees either of us gone.” With that, the Commander turns on his heel and marches back the way he came.

Obi-Wan barely wastes a second before sprinting towards the hangar, Jedi propriety be damned. 

What he found in the hanger nearly stunned him. Nearly, before he remembered Anakin’s knack for worming his way into anyone who gives him half a chance’s heart. Like a parasite, that boy. 

Cody, Waxer, and Boil from his battalion along with Rex, Kix, Fives, and Echo from the 501st are standing in the hangar, and Obi-Wan can even spot Commander Wolffe of the 104th standing near Cody. (Obi-Wan clearly recalls the day that Plo Koon  ~~ begged ~~ requested to meet Anakin, and for the rest of the week Anakin couldn’t stop talking about how cool the Wolf Pack was and how nice Plo was to him. It’s one of the worst kept secrets amongst the order that the Kel Dor has a nasty habit of adopting any stray creature that looks even remotely sad.) 

“General,” Cody’s tense voice cuts through the air and all restless conversations cease immediately, “What are our orders, sir?” 

Obi-Wan lets his gaze travel across each trooper’s face, all of them set in determination, and he feels just a touch of his desperation give away. They’ll get Anakin back. They have to, Obi-Wan thinks sadly, because the men, and himself, will never forgive themselves if they don’t.

“We find Anakin,” Obi-Wan fights through the way his throat tries to choke up, “And we make anyone involved in his kidnapping regret it.” 

His response is a resounding two claps of hands against plastoid chest pieces that echo through the empty hangar and make Obi-Wan’s skin break into goosebumps. 

They load into the ship with lightning quick efficiency. There is none of the usual banter amongst the  _ vode _ , only a tense silence that makes Obi-Wan’s flesh itch beneath his robes. 

The ship, while full of troopers, has never felt more empty.

The data chip, when plugged in, reveals a set of coordinates that aren’t too far from the Temple, surprisingly enough. 

Uncharacteristic anger courses through Obi-Wan’s veins. The people who  _ dared  _ take Anakin didn’t even have the decency to have a more out of the way base? 

A firm hand clasps his shoulder and Obi-Wan flinches. He looks up at Cody, who’s righteous anger has given way to thinly veiled concern, “We’ll get him back, General.”

Obi-Wan’s tight smile must look as pathetic and wobbly as it feels, because Cody does not seem impressed, “I know we will,” He responds evenly, “We have to. I don’t know what I’ll do if we don’t.” 

What if Anakin is angry with him and doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore? Obi-Wan doesn’t know what would be worse: not finding Anakin, or finding Anakin and being faced with a rejection that Obi-Wan most definitely deserves. 

Cody’s hand on his shoulder squeezes once before the Commander stalks off to sit next to Wolffe. 

The rest of the flight is spent in silence. Obi-Wan wishes more than anything in the world to hear a giggle echo through the air.

When they reach their destination the pilot, a shiny from the 501st, hovers the aircraft above the roof of where Anakin is supposedly being kept, close enough that they won’t need parachutes but still far enough away to remain discreet. 

It’s an unspoken agreement that Rex and Obi-Wan will be the first to jump. 

From there, it’s easy. Obi-Wan cuts through the door on the roof and they swiftly and silently go down the following stairs. The building used to be a textile mill before it was shut down, so Obi-Wan has the troopers break off into groups of two to inspect the floors they pass until the only men that remain are himself, Rex, and Cody. 

They stop in front of the final door, and Obi-Wan’s skin suddenly feels too tight. They’ve gotten no word from any of the other teams through the coms. This door is their last hope. This door is  _ Anakin’s _ last hope. 

Obi-Wan crumples the door with nothing more than a clenched fist and sweeps through the room in an arc of blue. 

Startled yells echo through the room, along with the high pitched shriek of younglings, and Obi-Wan feels his lips stretch into a smile that was more teeth than anything else. Blaster shots come from both sides, and Obi-Wan deflects all of them with ease.  _ Not so tough when you have no crowd control. _

Rex and Cody take care of every trafficker in the room. All of them except one. 

The Trandoshan is slumped against a wall, chest heaving and gun clattered uselessly to the floor by his feet. He holds his right arm tight to his side, and Obi-Wan feels a very wrong sense of vindication course through him. 

“Tell me how to get the collars off,” Obi-Wan demands, and he hasn’t looked at the corner where four children are huddled into a too-small cage despite the way his heart  _ screams _ at him to turn and see if one of them is Anakin.

Cody flanks his side, his blaster trained unwaveringly on the Trandoshan’s form while Rex is crouched by the cage and unlocking it.

The trafficker scoffs and spits at Obi-Wan’s feet but remains stubbornly silent. 

Obi-Wan’s nostrils flare and he slowly outstretches his hand, “You will tell me how to get the collars off,” He pushes every ounce of strength into the Force suggestion as he can muster. There are, of course, other ways to get the collars off but Obi-Wan won’t risk accidentally hurting Anakin. 

The Trandoshan’s eyes glaze over, “I will… tell you how… to get the collars off,” He mumbles in a daze as his hands fumble in his pockets for a key ring. He offers it up to Obi-Wan with a shaky hand, and Obi-Wan snatches it and turns sharply towards Rex, who has pulled all of them out of the cage and is cradling - oh  _ Force. _

Rex has Anakin pulled into his lap, but unlike the other three younglings, Anakin is completely catatonic. One of the younglings, a Rhodian, is hugging Anakin’s limp hand to her chest. 

“Rex,” Obi-Wan murmurs, unable to take his eyes off Anakin’s too-still form as he drops to his knees beside the Captain, who shifts the boy so Obi-Wan has access to the back of the collar. 

Anakin’s nose and mouth are crusted in blood from when he had been struck by the blaster, and dark bruises under each of his eyes have already begun forming. His heavy coat from the town is nowhere to be seen and neither are his shoes.

_ He must have been so cold. _

With shaky hands, Obi-Wan slots the key into the locking mechanism at the base of Anakin’s neck, and with a twist of his wrist the collar clicks and opens. 

Obi-Wan wastes no time in wrenching it off Anakin’s neck and throwing it to the side. 

Wordlessly, Rex shifts Anakin into Obi-Wan’s lap and takes the keys to start freeing the other younglings. 

“Anakin?” Obi-Wan dares to whisper, resting a hand on Anakin’s chest that is moving up and down, but much too shallow for Obi-Wan to feel comfortable, “Anakin? Can you hear me?” 

The boy doesn’t respond, and Obi-Wan feels his throat clench viciously. His hand tightens into a fist. He pulls Anakin tight into his chest, and can’t bear to look at how his head just rolls limply to the side so he shuts his eyes tight. 

_ Please wake up. Please wake up. Please- _

All at once, Anakin’s back bows sharply, and his inhale is even sharper. His body is ramrod straight and his eyes are wide open yet unseeing. Anakin’s hands grab tightly to Obi-Wan’s forearms. 

An intense pressure overtakes Obi-Wan’s senses, and he grits his teeth at the onslaught and just holds tighter to Anakin, who has begun shaking.

Their bond that Obi-Wan never wants to go another second without  _ snaps  _ back into place and Anakin arches even more in Obi-Wan’s lap at an almost painful degree. 

The rush of pressure vanishes and Anakin suddenly slumps in Obi-Wan’s grip, now breathing deep and slow but his eyes remain stubbornly closed. 

But it's enough for Obi-Wan. 

For the first time since the morning, Obi-Wan  _ breathes. _ His shoulders slump and he buries his face in Anakin’s hair and presses one hard kiss to his head before rising to his feet, Anakin cradled carefully in his arms. 

He looks up and sees both Cody balancing a Togruta on each hip and Rex doing the same with the Rhodian that had been holding Anakin’s hand.

Obi-Wan smiles for the first time since Anakin was taken and holds the boy just a bit tighter. 

They walk outside, leaving the smoking body of the Trandoshan (“He lunged at me,” Cody would explain later, straight faced and unapologetic, “So I reacted.”) in the room Obi-Wan would never step foot in again. The troopers gathered outside the room all released a collective breath of relief as Obi-Wan stepped out with Anakin in his arms. 

The ride back to the Temple was much happier, although not much louder. The men entertained the three other younglings, who would be returned to their families tomorrow, and Obi-Wan sat with Anakin on his lap and Rex and Cody on either side of him. 

Anakin still hasn’t opened his eyes, but his breathing has remained deep and even, so it’s enough for Obi-Wan. 

It’s more than enough. 

Obi-Wan is dropped off at the Temple and the  _ vode _ return to their barracks, where they will no doubt sleep easier knowing that Anakin is safe and sound. He trudges up the steps and makes the trek to their quarters.

He’ll deal with Vokara Che in the morning. All that he wants to do now, with adrenaline wearing off and exhaustion setting in, but with his brother in his arms, is  _ sleep. _

Upon entering their shared room, Obi-Wan gently wipes the dried blood from Anakin’s face, and the boy doesn’t stir once. He forgoes changing into something more sleep appropriate, instead only toes off his boots, and sets Anakin down on the bed, head placed firmly on his designated pillow, and crawls in behind him. 

Obi-Wan pulls his brother tightly to his chest and the comforting hum of Anakin’s albit muted presence in his mind pulls him into a dreamless sleep.

He wakes, many hours later, to a heavy weight on his chest and arms wrapped tightly around his neck. 

“You came for me,” Anakin’s muffled voice says, so achingly full of disbelief.

Obi-Wan feels his eyes well up and his throat gets tight. He wraps his own arms around Anakin’s torso and pulls him even closer, “Of course I did, Ani.” 

His hands fist tightly into Anakin’s shirt and he presses a long kiss to Anakin’s temple.

“I’ll always come for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are my own, please let me know if you see any! Thank you so much for reading :) Comments are loved and gushed over. Love you all lots! <3


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